---

Our text presents to our view a striking contrast between that which constitutes the religion of a worldling, and that which constitutes the religion of a Christian. The religion of a worldling is a religion of slavish fear, but the religion of a Christian consists of a threefold gift, as specified in the language of my text. If you go to Pagan lands you will find all the Pagan tribes in possession of a religion of slavish fear; they fear their priests, and therefore they bow down to them as ii they were a superior race of beings to themselves. They fear the devil, and, therefore, they worship him lest he should do them hurt, for theirs is a religion of slavish fear altogether. There are three words, or three features, of our subject, so distinctly marked that I want your attention to them separately. "God hath given us the spirit of power" — there is efficiency. "God hath given us the spirit of love" — there is attraction. "God hath given us the spirit of a sound mind" — that is a treasure in our vessels of infinite value.

I. "God hath given us the spirit of POWER." I would have every person who is moved with the idea that God sends him to preach, "tarry at Jerusalem, until he has been endued with power from on high."

II. Now a word or two about the attraction in the "SPIRIT OF LOVE." You will recollect reading that all the law is said by our blessed Lawgiver to be couched in this one word, "love"; and sure I am that all the gospel is couched in it, for "God is love." Hence it is the grand principle insisted on all through the New Testament.

III. Now glance at the treasure in possession in earthen vessels, called A SOUND MIND. It is one of the rarest things in existence — A sound mind. I can meet with puerile minds, I can meet with frantic minds, I can meet with enthusiastic minds, I can meet with fickle and varying minds, not a few, and some of these bad and sad qualities even among Christians; I lament over them. A sound mind — what is it There is not a child of Adam that possesses it until he gets it from above; it must be inspired. I grant that there are many men who have sound minds in temporal things; sound minds to judge rightly and consistently of worldly matters, so as seldom to make a mistake in matters of business; a sound mind to rule their house properly, to manage things with keenness and propriety, and with success; but, mark, I make a distinction between a sound mind, as the gift of God in a spiritual point of view, and a sound mind as existing in nature. A sound mind, as existing in nature, only regards natural things, and can rise no higher than its own level. I never knew a man of sound mind in spiritual things, until the Holy Ghost inspired it.

(Jos. Irons.)

---

---

KJV: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

WEB: For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.